Sonbolestan neighborhood, that today is located between the Abdolrazagh and Ebne Sina streets, is one of the six oldest neighborhoods of Isfahan. Talle Asheqan alley, a hospital remained from the times of the World War II and that is called “Amin”, old historical zurkhaneh gyms, Sonbolestan garden, underground tunnels, Babanush mausoleum and Jamilan palace are located in this neighborhood.
The latter could have become a Taj Mahal of Isfahan. The palace that was built on the foundation of love. It is told that when Khosrow was not in love with Shirin anymore, he became attracted to a beauty whose name was Shekar and who was from Isfahan. Khosrow calls a priest and marries Shekar.
After that Khosrow builds a magnificent palace for his Shekar and around this palace he builds forty minarets, and because of this later the whole neighborhood was called Chelman or Chehel Menare (meaning “forty minarets”). The years passed and the palace slowly turned into ruins. During the Seljuq period once more the palace is built in the same place by Malik-Shah I for his wife Terken Khatun and now the name given to is “Jamilan Palace”.
During the reign of Malik-Shah I the Ismaili sect was hostile to the Seljuk dynasty, and for the same reason residents of the palace in order to protect themselves and their servants build underground tunnels beneath the palace that were arranged in such a complicated manner that only the residents of the palace knew how to pass those tunnels.
After that during the Safavid period the Jamilan palace was turned into a school and its name was changed into Sonbolestan. Through the passage of time this historical neighborhood once was a huge palace, later it was turned into a school, afterwards it was turned into a caravanserai, and today only a ruined and ramshackle building has remained in the middle of the Sonbolestan neighborhood.
Name Chonbalan Historical House
Fame Jamilan Palace
Location Darb-e Ghasr Lane, Abdulrazagh Street, Sonbolestan Neighborhood
Archaism Safavid Era
Established during Sassanian Era
National heritage Registration No. 1989 and in 1998